December 14, 2013

Peace C.R.D.S. Readers, this is my final post for 2013 and I would like to wish all of my readers around the world a very Happy Christmas and to extend my thanks for the messages, re-posts and e-mails and I will see you all in 2014.

Here is a quick run down of what I have been loving this past November and December, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, I should be completing a best of 2013 post soon too.

November 18, 2013

Volume 22 of the CRDS Fat Tape series, this one has been the soundtrack for my hectic, confusing, odd, challenging but ultimately rewarding (I'm getting married next year, yes me....getting m-a-r-r-i-e-d lol) and ever changing life for the past month and that is what a good fat/mix tape should always do...music will always see you through...;)enjoy

"CATCH THE BEAT"

MAN OF BOOOMsichtexot

"YOU & YOUR CREW"VARIOUS BLENDS FT MYSTIK JOURNEYMENBaraka Foundation

"ALL THAT I GOT IS YOU (REMIX)"GHOSTFACE KILLAHEpic Street"POISON"BLACK MILKFat Beats

November 15, 2013

I must admit I was a bit late onthe dope Detroit native known as Denmark Vessey's solo material but it's always good to play catch up...Denmark Vessey is named after an 1800's African slave (but with an added S) and of the group Crown Nation (with Mello Music Group signee Quelle Chris) was recently signed to the Dirty Science label andhas been releasing some quality material lately, after checking the dope Don't Drink The Kool Aidalbum I am looking forward to hearing the Cult Classicwith Chicago Producer and MC Scud Oneand the Life In My Direction album which seemed to have fallen off my radar.

Denmark Ves... is well I don't even know if unique is the right word but this dude definitely has a style all of his own...he makes dope beats, rhymes well and plays guitar, piano and drums so in simple terms, he is just dope and a well rounded talent and I can certainly call myself a fan.Check these dope video's and get familiar...

November 10, 2013

But hold up (wait a minute) The Wu's Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was not the only classic album released on November 9th, 1993, Native Tongue's A Tribe Called Quest released their third album Midnight Marauders and it was an album that made a lot of top 10 lists by the years end and cemented Tribe as one of the greatest groups along with the Wu to ever grace Hip Hop.

What made the album so special other than the great music was the cover made up of a who's who of Hip Hop legends, I recall an old Friend attending photography school and a group of us recreated the cover, that was a wild and amusing day but the poster has long gone sadly.Midnight Maruaders was ATCQ's trifecta and a superb follow up to the classic Low End Theory (1991) album and was just generally a great feel good album filled with positivity and dope jazz loops, crisp drum breaks and funk and soul samples supplied byAli Shaheed Muhammad, Skeff Anslem(he gets props too) and Q-Tip with Q-Tip and Phife dropping some of their greatest verses of their careers and had "the funky diabetic" Phife telling us that his fave rap group in the World was EPMD(I agreed) and that "if he ever went solo my favourite MC would be me"The LP will most likely be remembered for the dope Large Professor produced and guested track "Keep It Rollin" where Large Pro announced his solo album and for us to "buy the album when I drop it", as fans will know this album was never officially released due to label politics and b.s.

I remember taping the "Award Tour" video off TV and playing it pretty much every night (along with a ton of '93 classics that I had compiled on VHS tapes) and eventually heading to Allan's CD's to pick up the CD.

I picked up this album (from memory) around 2 weeks after the US release on import, needless to it was on constant rotation but "Sucka N--a" was the track the stood out to me the most after "Award Tour" & "Midnight" but in all honesty there wasn't a weak track on Midnight Marauders and the album has definitely stood the test of time.

I had a few Friends that picked up the album on vinyl and we thought it was dope that there were different versions of the cover and that they changed up who appeared on the cover and it was a great way to past the time to pick them all out, I raise a toast to the great ATCQ for blessing us with great and timeless music and for the legacy they leave in Hip Hop after their final tour in 2013.

November 9, 2013

Man I am old haha...yes indeed kids...we have finally arrived at the 20 year anniversary of the one of the rawest, illest and greatest and game changing albums in Hip Hop history a true landmark of an album, the album I am referring to is of course the debut album from the legendary Wu-Tang Clan released on Loud records November 9th in 1993.

I actually had to borrow the CD from the radio station I worked at as one of they were sent a promo copy and that CD did not leave my player for months, it was easily the most requested album on the Wednesday Nite Jam show throughout the 90's as well.

I eventually found the tape on import at Allan's CD's and I fondly remember DJing at and attending mad parties where either the whole album was played or people chose their favourite tracks.

I later got my own CD along with a few of the 12"s and I like many of you was Wu-Sane (Insane for the Wu) I had to buy every solo album from the original 9 members, every magazine, a couple of t-shirts, every album one of them appeared on etc and I still have most of them in storage but over time, albums were swapped, sold or given away.

I even had a manilla folder where I would write up discography's for each members resume, the Wu are still an important part of my life and always will be, I still dig at lot of what they record and I am looking forward to the next album, it was a true honour to be able to support the legendary Ghostface Killah & Killah Priest with my former crew Evil Mule in 2012 inWellington, New Zealand.

That will always go down as one of the greatest moments and memories for me personally, so much of my life and listening time has been made up because of the Wu Tang Clan and I raise a toast to the entire crew for bringing back the realness to NYC Hip Hop for showing wack rappers the exit sign, for teaching producers how to make muddy and raw dope beats with ill Kung-Fu soundbites and little to no polish in the mixing, for teaching wack MC's how to really rhyme, , the power of words, have incredible wordplay, style and charisma and kick the truth and deliver messages to the "young black youth"...

If I set my mind to it, I could write a 100 page essay on the Wu but I will leave it here and tell you to listen to the album and if you feel like it, leave a comment on how the Enter The 36 Chambers album affected and participate in the poll below for the dopest track on the album.

November 5, 2013

A dope, charismatic and very prolific MC that hails from Hempstead, Long Island and is1/2 of Tha Connection, who along with partner in rhyme Hus The Kingpinhave released over 10 albums (official, mix-tapes and collections) on labels like Mello Music Group,Digi Crates, Domination Recordings & Goon Trax (my faves being Little Boy Blue(2010) and Tha Connection's-Strive LP (2012) within 6 yearsis set to release an 11 track EP with top quality French label Ryks Muzik.The Smoovth Dude EP will be available from the Rhys Muzik website in December 2013 and pre-orders for the record will be taken this month.Check out "Don Dada" produced by Doktor Rheal

October 28, 2013

Today was not a perfect day, in fact it was a sad morning, I awoke to the news that highly influential Rock legend Lou Reed had passed away at 71.

As a youth I used to listen to my Father's Lou Reed records and bought the "Sun City" 12" when it was first released (where it is now I have no idea though haha), I won't claim to be an expert on all of his music, but what I did listen to over the years was always enjoyable and he had a voice that was quite simply unique.

At a later stage I discovered The Velvet Undergroundand of course Lou and The Velvet Underground have been sampled in Hip Hop (we won't mention the terrible Jamie J. Morgan song and the Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch video below was pretty corny, but I left it in there, because the production was decent) particularly on the one of the greatest Hip Hop recordings ever made (see below) who Lou had no problem giving permission for use of the sample.

October 27, 2013

Dope DJ and MC Marc Smith aka Emskee has a new album lined up with beats provided by Brooklyn's E The 5th of Sputnik Brown fame, the new album titled "The Marc Smith LP*" will be released through UK label Diggers With Gratitude in November 2013

October 20, 2013

As much as I enjoy the new album-No Poison, No Paradisefrom Detroit producer and MC Black Milk...I kind of feel that Milk has saved the best for lastof his latest offeringwith the insanely addictive iTunes only bonus track "Poison"

Seriously, just try and get that vocal sample out of your head.

No Poison, No Paradise features Black Thought, Quelle Chris, AB, Mel, Dwele, Robert Glasper and Will Sessions

Pick up the digital album herePick up the special 2 LP package (T-Shirt, sticker and poster) from Fat Beats here and pick up the CD hereIf you haven't already seen it, check the superb video for the previously released single "Sunday's Best/Monday's Worst"

October 12, 2013

I have had a few readers ask if I planned on doing these compilations again and I thought that it would be a good idea to make like an '88 Kane and Set It Off again...truth be told it has been a longtime between drinks with these fat tapes so I have focused a bit more on some of this years dope offerings along with releases of great Hip Hop recordings from years back.

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Copywrite-Read it and love it. Fuck those morons talkin shit about u "giving away free music". They'll complain no matter what u do. I've known camu longer than anyone in any crew he was ever in and I know he would love to be remembered for the obsession he put into his music and art. Much love fam. U even had "hear me talkin to you". A lot of people slept and never checked that out. Props fam. I'm gonna check the przm one out too. I miss both these people daily.

D.Lynch (Solid Scheme)-Thanks for the write up, you really did your homework. Thanks for taking me for a trip down memory lane. As for not seeing any photos of Solid Scheme your correct Chris and I were really on the low. We just made beats. Chris Passed away on March 9th 2001 of a suddden heart attack he was only 31That was my Dog! As for me I'm still making beats living in Los Angeles though originally from Brooklyn.

Hitman Howie Tee-Jaz, Your da man. Thanx for da hook up, what more can I say, but BIG BIG Thanx man. I'm in Orlando, FL now just chillin with the fam. I have maadd trax, but Hip-Hop is NOT the same, it's ALL about the money. When you do hip hop for the money, you make the money, But when you do hip hop for the love of hip hop, you make HISTORY (the money will come). Think About, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five did not get the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame becouse they made money. Hollaback

Salaam Remi-I Came across the blog u did on me while surfing the net,thanx a lot, appreciate it.

Scotti aka DJ Ace of Ace and Daquan-Jaz thanks for the respect, i was reading some comments you said about me,concerning give it up and hard to the core-Yeah i can't believe where all the time went....but those were the days of crazy creative Hip Hop. I no longer go by the name of DJ Ace but I am still producing-

The LG Experience-Jaz Whats Good.I want to thank you for your post on my work. Its crazy cause i've had your blog as a favorite for a while,but didn't check it for a min. I was copying links from some of the best sites I fuck wit to send to my boy in detroit & came across the post. I appreciate your interest dogs. I'm still makin heat.I'm currently workin on albums by Malay Sparks,Baby Blak,& B.A.M.

Yeshua dapoED-yo i absolutely love ur blog and this piece on guru...and the other awesome shit ur writng about..big ups man.. good shit